


Broken Wings

by GlowBug2013



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Family Drama, Family Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-11
Updated: 2015-10-11
Packaged: 2018-04-25 20:12:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4974850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlowBug2013/pseuds/GlowBug2013
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU with all the gang living an "apple-pie" life.<br/>Family doesn't end with blood in the Winchester family. That holds true when a little turbulence in Cas's family has him scrambling to find where he really belongs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Broken Wings

Ever since Dean had saved Castiel from a pack of bullies, the scrawny boy had been exceptionally grateful. The underclassman had developed a bit of hero worship for the junior.  
At first it was a bit annoying, but the kid was sweet and really didn't have any friends. Eventually, Dean gave up trying to free himself from the tag along, and took him under his wing.  
He took him home for supper one night, mostly to meet Sammy(who was only a year younger, they could play or something). That clinched it, the family loved the boy and there was no getting rid of him.  
By the start of Senior year, it was like he had two brothers. Dean had learned a lot about the fifteen year old: he had three older brothers (Michael, Gabriel and Balthazar), they were all named after angels, their parents died when he was ten, Michael was working two jobs to support the family (one that he’d landed with his college degree, and was hoping roll up a promotion and raise soon so he could quit the factory job that he hated). Gabriel was working an internship at a theater in New York and 'Zar' was a college freshman in a business program. Cas was interested in Biblical studies and wanted to be in the military someday- probably the Air Force ("flying would be so cool!").  
The blue-eyed ball of enthusiasm came everywhere with him and Sam. The younger two did their homework together, and Cas was around the Winchester household so often that it was just natural.  
That's why he was so concerned now. It was Wednesday... That wouldn't concern many, but to Dean that meant a week and a half since he'd talked to his surrogate brother. Friday marked two whole weeks, which was unheard of.   
When he'd see Cas in the hall, the kid would duck his head and walk the other way. He knew Sammy'd been trying to talk to him too. He voiced his concern to the family over dinner that night, quite unnecessarily seeing as everyone had noticed the boy's absence.  
Thursday he had decided to corner him and make him talk. Something told the senior that something was very wrong. His unease was heightened when he couldn't find his little sophomore anywhere. He simply was not at school.  
That night at dinner, Sam made an announcement.  
"So, tomorrow is Friday... Anyone wanna guess who FC is?"  
FC- "Future Captain". On Fridays the soccer team picks an underclassman that's in the running for captain next season to lead practice. Sam was stoked enough to make varsity in ninth grade, but this was Huge!  
"Great job, kiddo!" John crowed enthusiastically, clapping his son on the back. Sam didn't look so thrilled though.  
"Nervous, dear?" Mary asked, sensing her youngest son's unease.  
"No, just... After practice I ran some trails back in the woods trying to find a good warm up route, and I found this little shack."  
"Ah, the old equipment shed!" John sighed in nostalgia. "Boy, in my day coach Cobb used to make us run all the way out there, and run all the way back with the equipment. And Lord help us if we forgot anything!"   
Sam nodded, seeming pleased that someone knew the place.  
"Yeah well, I explored it a little, and there was a bunch of stuff..." He looked increasingly uncomfortable, making the small family a little uneasy. "Well, there was a book bag in there. It looked like Castiel's. It even had the little wings pin on it. It- it looked like he was living there..."  
They all looked at each other in shock for a moment. Mary, looking absolutely heartbroken, opened her mouth to speak, but Dean held up a hand. "I'll take care of it, Mom. I'll grab him at school tomorrow and we'll talk it out. He trusts me, I'll get to the bottom of it."  
They agreed, and Dean went into the school wired with nerves.   
By third period he hadn't seen hide nor hair of the boy in question, so without hesitation he snuck out the back door and headed down the western path into the woods.  
Finally he found the shack, taking a moment to appreciate the approximately two mile walk. He walked up to the rickety door and wasn't really sure what to do. As he stood there debating, the October chill was eating through his jacket, making up his mind. Uncertainly, he knocked on the door. He heard a gasp and some shuffling inside and used that as his invitation.  
He pushed his way in, finding a rather disheveled looking Cas on the floor. He was bundled in a sleeping bag and obviously wearing multiple layers, but still shivering.   
He looked up at Dean with a look of terror, blue eyes puffy and red rimmed. It broke the older boy's heart.   
Slowly, Dean lowered himself to the floor in front of his 'little brother'.  
"Hey Cas, where ya been?" He asked gently, playfully.  
The other just stared back with a look of befuddlement. He looked pretty out of it. Dean looked around and saw some empty water bottles and food wrappers, a duffel bag with clothes spilling out, a tear-stained pillow, and a beat up old book bag.  
"Are you hurt?" The younger shook his head. "Are you sick?" A hesitation, then a nod. Dean sighed in frustration. It still made the smaller boy retreat farther into his cocoon.   
"Let's get you outta here. We'll come back for your stuff later, but right now you need to get warmed up."  
And just like that, meek as a little lamb, Castiel let his big brother pull him to his feet. He sighed in contentment when Dean had him ditch the sleeping bag in favor of the coat that was around his own shoulders. Once he was bundled in the thick leather, Dean wrapped an arm around him and led him out of the makeshift residence.  
\---  
Mary looked up from her ironing when her eldest son pulled a rather unwell looking Castiel through the door. She set the iron in its cradle and went over to greet them, and help Dean, who seemed to be supporting a lot of the other's weight.   
"Hey Mom, Cas isn't feeling so hot so I brought him home from school. Do you mind if he lays down upstairs for a bit?"  
"Of course not." She replied sweetly.  
When she held her arms out to the younger boy, he looked upset by the gesture. It honestly made her want to cry. He's always been such a sweet boy. And she had no idea, well she still didn't. She decided to stop jumping to conclusions.  
"What, no hug?" She asked in the best casual, lighthearted voice that she could muster. Dean gave the kid a bit of a nudge and Cas walked into Mary's arms. She held him close to her, feeling him tremble in her grasp.   
She placed a sneaky kiss to his forehead, then frowned and turned her face to press her cheek to his face. "You're burning up. You must feel awful." She held him a bit longer than strictly necessary. When she let go he tried to hide the tears welling in his baby blue eyes by studying his shoes, but sniffled and blew his own cover.  
"Alright big guy, let's get you a warm shower and some fresh clothes." Dean said softly, guiding him out of the front room and up the stairs with two firm hands on his shoulders.  
Once he made sure the other was in the process of removing his many layers to get in the shower, Dean stepped out and headed downstairs.   
His mother met him in the kitchen doorway.  
"Was Sammy right?" She asked, looking devastated. Dean ran a hand through his hair uncertainly. "It looks like it. That's where I found him, he didn't even come to school. He's probably sick and dehydrated. I'll talk to him once he's settled a bit, I don't think it'll be pretty though." He admitted.   
Mary shook her head sadly. "I ignored so much. Odd bruises: boys will be boys, those nights he was so reluctant to leave: you three were just having a great time. I-"  
"Mom, stop. We don't know what's going on yet. It might not be that bad. Give me five minutes to talk to him, then you can go up and love him to death if you want."  
Mary had to smile at the little lecture. He was so much like his father.  
By the time Dean had slid a pair of his old pajamas under the bathroom door and fixed a small lunch, the shower had turned off. He decided to eat, and then go up so to give their guest time to get dressed and settle in.  
Great plan, until he just ended up shoveling the food down in record time. Oh well...  
He climbed the stairs to find Castiel pacing the small guest room, though he wasn't sure how the scrawny legs were hold the boy up for how bad they were shaking.  
"How ya feelin, kiddo?" Cas started, spinning to look at the intruder.  
"Dean, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be here. I can't do this."  
Dean was already guiding the youngin to the bed.  
"You're sick, buddy. Get in bed."  
The other didn't put up much of a fight, letting the older cover him in several warm quilts. Dean nudged him over with his hip and sat down, pulling the shaking form to himself. Castiel started to relax a little while the large protective hand slid up and down his shoulder. He focused on matching his breathing to the older boy's. He melted a little when the other hand reached over to gently card through his hair.  
"What's going on with you?" He asked softly, imagining that it was Sam in an effort to steel himself for the impending chick-flick moment. That got a whole lot harder when the child turned his face into his side to stifle a soft sob.  
Dean just wrapped his arm around the shaking form, completely enveloping him.  
"Hey, you're okay. You can tell me anything, bud."  
Cas shook his head, pulling away to rub his eyes.  
"It's okay, I'm okay."  
Dean rubbed his back a little, not really sure what to do. Sam would've spilled his guts already.  
"This isn't 'okay', bro. We're worried."  
He just shook his head determinedly.  
"Fine, be that way. You're not going anywhere until Mom gives you a clean bill of health though, so get comfy."  
Apparently 'comfy' meant resting his head on Dean's shoulder.   
He allowed it, resting against the headboard and just let the younger use him as a pillow.  
Mary listened outside of the door. It had been a little over 10 minutes and she couldn't hear any talking.  
"Come in" answered her knock on the door. She set the small tray she carried on the nightstand, and couldn't suppress a small, sad smile at the sight.  
Castiel lay lethargically on Dean's chest, glassy eyes staring into nothing.  
"Cas sweetie, I'm going to take your temperature, okay?"  
He nodded absently and Dean shifted to pull them both a little more upright. She slid the device under his tongue.  
"102. Castiel, you're pretty sick sweetheart." She cooed maternally. Cas shrugged, but accepted the proffered mug of tea gratefully.  
"Thank you." He sighed after a long sip.   
Mary sat at the foot of the bed to study her boys.  
"What's hurting?"  
"Just my head and my throat." He answered, picking at the quilt with his free hand. They sat for a minute, then Dean decided to be proactive.  
"Wanna tell us why you're living in the old soccer shed?" He asked bluntly. The younger looked like a trapped animal, but slid on a decent poker face.  
"Because I don't live with my brothers anymore."  
"Yeah, I got that. Why though?"   
Castiel shifted uncomfortably again, shifting as far from Dean's touch as the small space allowed. Dean made no attempt to give him more space.  
"We had a disagreement. We haven't been getting along for a while anyway. They said that if I was unhappy, to know that no one was making me stay. So I left. They were sick of taking care of me, and I knew that. It was wrong of me to continue to intrude on their lives for so long."  
His lip wobbled and the crystal blue eyes watered.  
Okay, Dean was ready to punch some throats and rip out some lungs. Who were those bastards to make his little brother feel like he was intruding in his own home.  
Wordlessly, he gestured for Mary to leave. She looked hesitant, but nodded. On her way out she scooped up a few tablets from the tray and set them in Dean's hand.  
When the door closed he coaxed the smaller form into taking the medicine and getting a few good pulls of the tea before starting in on him again.He was happy to take the extra time to calm his near-boiling blood.   
"Cas buddy, this is important. Did they kick you out, or did you run away?"  
"I- I-... I guess I ran away. They never told me to leave, they just said they wouldn't stop me. They've made good on that."  
The young, tired voice raised in pitch with the strain of getting the words out. Dean took the cool dregs of the tea and set it aside.  
"Have they ever hurt you? Physically, I mean?"  
He shook his head rapidly.  
"No, they wouldn't do that! They're not the bad guys here, I am."  
Dean pulled away a little to look at the younger better, and just managed to catch crumbling esteem and crushing rejection play across the boy's face.  
"Why didn't you come here when you left? You know my parents would never say you couldn't stay."  
Castiel's whole body shuddered with the force of the sob that finally broke through his lips.  
"Don't you get it? I need to stop being such a leech. I'm draining the life out of people with my greed and dependency. I-"  
Dean held up a firm hand for him to stop. The speech sounded rehearsed, nonsensical, and untrue.  
"You know what you need to do? Get some sleep. I want you to take a nap and let the fluids and Motrin kick in a bit. We'll talk when you're feeling a bit better."  
He stood up and his surrogate brother recoiled like he'd been slapped. The tears were falling before either could fix it. Dean stayed firm though. He leaned over and wrapped the boy in a strong, protective hug and lay him down. He covered the sniffling, shaking figure in thick blankets, and left the room.  
He'd be lying if said he didn't sit outside the door until he was sure Castiel was sleeping, or at least resting, before he went downstairs.   
The first thing he did was walk into his mother's arms. She asked a million questions with a flick of her eyes and a squeeze of her arms.  
"He's really upset. I told him we'd talk later, and had him take a nap."  
"Do we need to call CPS?"  
"I'm not sure yet. He says he ran away, and they said he could leave but they didn't tell him to leave. I think it might be able to be worked out. Honestly, there's something he's not telling me."  
\---  
And then came the waiting. Dean was vigilant, checking on the sleeping boy at least once an hour. When Sam got home he refused to talk about practice or even shower until seeing his best friend for himself.  
Dean swelled with pride seeing Sam tired and dirty, sit on the edge of the bed and gently rub Cas's back and tell the sleeping form that they would take care of everything.  
Dean made the executive decision that Cas needed to stay in bed for supper. The younger didn't argue, as he simply wasn't ready to put on a normal face and mingle with the family.  
Dean ate with him and pushed the other to finish as much of supper as he could stomach, an extra glass of water, and cleaned up when they were done.  
"If you need anything at all, you know where to find us. Rest up, we want you better."  
Of course, quarantining a sick, scared, upset child doesn't do much more than make them more upset. When Sam dragged himself up the stairs with his schoolwork there was no way for him to miss the sounds of shuffling and muttering from behind the guest bedroom door.  
He knocked twice and heard the other throw himself into the bed. "Yes?"  
Sam pushed his way in and closed the door behind him.  
"You okay, Cas?"  
He asked cautiously, moving into the room. An indecisive nod was hard to interpret behind the sleeves frantically trying to dry his face. Sam settled on the foot of the bed, keeping his gaze on his best friend.  
"You know you can tell me anything, right?" He offered mirroring his big brother’s words without even realizing it, watching the baby blue eyes leak crystal tears again. Sam scooted up the bed and held his arms open. He quickly found himself with an armful of Cas. He held his friend firmly, using a hand to hold the broken boy's head to his chest.  
They sat there like that for who knows how long while Cas broke down in his arms.  
Sam didn't whisper sweet nothings like his mom would, crack jokes and rub quick little circles on his back like Dean would, or try to change the subject and guide the other through deep breaths like his dad. Sam just held his friend close and let him have a rock to cling to until shaky breaths and hiccups replaced the tears.  
Cas sat up, getting off of his best friend, but he couldn't quite make himself let go of the hem of his shirt.  
"I'm sorry, Sammy."  
He whimpered, holding the other's shirt a little tighter.  
"Don't be sorry, Cas. Everyone hurts sometimes. Wanna tell me what's going on with you lately?"  
The youngest Winchester couldn't help but notice that his friend still craved contact with him, but wouldn't ask. It was a little strange to think, because guys don't get so touchy feely with each other... They shouldn't, should they?  
He decided that he didn’t care how he was ‘supposed to’ react. As far as he was concerned, comforting his friend was the most important thing right now, he slid his hand down to cover Cas's hand. He was almost relieved when the other took it and held it. That could have gone worse.  
"Balthazar, Michael, and I aren't getting along. We had a really big fight a little bit ago and I left."  
Sam ran his thumb over the hand that was shaking in his own.  
"Please tell me that you didn't leave them two weeks ago."  
He shook his head slowly.   
"One week..."  
"You've been avoiding us for two."  
Castiel looked down at their clasped hands, a little amazed at the Winchesters’ capacity for love and acceptance… or at least, he hoped.  
"Is that when the fighting started?"  
The elder nodded carefully.  
"Can you tell me what you guys are fighting about?"  
A blush crept up his collar line as he shook his head. He refused to meet Sam's eye.  
"Does what you were fighting about have anything to do with why you didn't come to me or Dean when stuff was going bad?"  
Castiel covered his face as he felt himself tearing up again. God, why does this have to hurt so bad?  
"Awe Cas, it's okay. Hey, don't-"  
He pulled the hands away from the boy's face and held them both of his.  
"Castiel, we are here for you no matter what. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but we really want to help."  
Sam held the sharp blue gaze as long as possible, trying to convey how much he meant it. Finally the other's eyes dropped away.  
"There's something wrong with me, Sammy. If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone."  
"Does Dean count?"  
The blue eyed boy was silent for a minute.  
"He loves you too. He's scared to death right now that someone is hurting you. He won't tell anybody."  
Castiel caved under the intense hazel gaze.  
"Yeah, you can tell Dean."  
"Thank you. Now what's bothering you?"  
The older shook out of the younger's grasp and stood up, pacing the room.  
"Gabriel and I were talking about... Stuff... And he was trying to tell me how I should be, um- safe... with girls. I told him that I wasn't really interested in girls that way. He was okay with it and I thought he understood, but then he was just like 'that's okay, sport. Waiting until you're older is a great choice.' And I had to tell him that that's not what I meant..."  
He stopped pacing, and stood looking out the window.  
"What did you mean, Cas?"  
The poor kid was so tense that it looked like he might snap.  
"I meant that I- I think I like b-b-boys how I'm supposed to like girls."  
He stood frozen, waiting for yet another round of brutal rejection.  
"Okay. And that's why you guys fought?"  
Really? He's still willing to talk about this?  
"He didn’t seem to care, but the others got really mad, they- they called me disgusting. They thought-  
They thought we- you and I-  
They said I couldn't be here anymore... I can't be here anymore, they're right. I'm a freak and I'm always here. I'm sorry."  
Sam intercepted him halfway across the floor when he tried to take off. The poor guy shook so hard his teeth chattered when the younger boy's hands rested firmly on his shoulders.  
"Look at me."  
There were tears in the puffy eyes.  
"I'm so so sorry. I swear I don't feel that way about you and Dean! You're my brothers! I love you, but not like a freak!"   
"Shhhh."  
He waited until his friend had taken a few deep breaths, but tears still rolled down his cheeks. Sam's hands slid down to grab Castiel's.  
"Thank you for telling me that. Now let me tell you something:  
That doesn't matter to us. I'm not uncomfortable, or disgusted, or angry. I love you just as much as I did before. You’re not a freak, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. I promise you that you're safe here."  
Castiel was absolutely weak from relief. Sam eased the older boy back into the bed.   
"Let me talk to Dean. In the meantime, you rest. Your only job right now is to feel better, I'll handle the rest. Got it?"  
A small nod warmed his heart.  
"K, see you soon, man."  
\---*---*---*---  
"They what?!"  
Dean roared, face turning red with the injustice.  
"Shhhh, someone will hear you!"  
Sam reprimanded, staying out of the way while his brother stormed around the basement.  
"Let me get this straight. They made the poor kid feel like shit because he ~might~ be gay, made him feel unsafe in his own home AND said he couldn't come here because they thought that you two might be dating, then told him that if he wanted to leave they wouldn't stop him?"  
Sam nodded, feeling the fury rise in his own chest.   
"He tried to leave. He thought we would think he was disgusting too."  
Dean whirled around.  
"You told him that that's bullshit right. We would never-"  
"He's still here! I must have done something right."  
Dean sighed in frustration and aimed another punch at the bag hanging from the ceiling.  
"Why wouldn't he tell me?"  
He finally forced out, frustration and helplessness bleeding together.  
"You're his big brother, Dean. I think under normal circumstances he'd tell you anything. But think about how his real big brothers are treating him. I bet you anything he was scared to death that you'd react the same way, whether or not he thought you actually would. He'd be devastated if you turned your back on him too."  
That hung in the hair heavily for a while.  
"I need to talk to him."  
\---  
Cas looked up from the book that he'd found in the desk in the spare room when someone knocked on the door. Sam had books stashed everywhere and had let him help himself on more than one occasion. "Come in." He answered, noting that the tea and medicine had helped his throat a lot.   
Dean slipped in the door and he swore he could feel the color drain from his face.  
"Feeling any better, buddy?"  
Dean asked, cocky attitude perfectly intact. Castiel nodded and tried not to shrink away when Dean settled on the end of the bed.  
"Sammy told me what's going on. I'm sorry you're brothers reacted like that. I don't think you should be living there if you don't feel safe and supported, but you're not going to be homeless on my watch. So what we're going to do is go down and tell mom and dad what's going on, and let them know that you'll be staying here. Then, Sammy and I are going to go get your stuff from the soccer shed. Deal?"  
The younger didn’t seem quite so convinced. Dean knew what he was thinking, and gave him a minute to mull it over. “It’ll be fine, man. You don't have to tell them everything, but they wouldn't care if you did. They love you, and won’t feel any different about you after this.”  
As if he was working on auto pilot, the shaken teen nodded and climbed out of the now too hot nest of blankets.  
"And Cas?"  
Cas looked up expectantly. He didn't even fight for a second when Dean wrapped him up in his arms. He melted right to his chest and felt it rumble when he said "You're family, kid. No matter what you do, who you love, or where you go you'll always be welcome here."  
If the poor thing had any tears left to cry he probably would've, but he settled for squeezing his big brother a little tighter and sighing in appreciation.  
\---  
"Um, Mr. Winchester? Mrs. Winchester?"  
That in itself was weird. Cas hadn't addressed them so formally since the first time Dean had brought him to dinner with the introduction 'Mom, Dad, this is that freshman that won't leave me alone'.  
"Hey Sport, how ya feeling?" John answered, turning off the tv. The poor kid was shaking like a leaf. Dean stood behind him, hands squeezing his shoulders in a show of support.   
"I-I'm feeling better. Thank you, sir."  
He stared at the carpet and took several deep breaths, seeming to have a terrible time collecting himself.  
"That's great. What's on your mind?" John prompted gently.  
“I wanted to tell you guys that I think I might be... I think I'm gay."  
He spit out like one would rip off a band aid. He stood there trembling under Dean's hands and staring at his feet. He could feel Dean's thumbs massage gentle little circles on his back.  
"Cas, sweetheart, don't look so scared." Mary cooed, then playfully added "I like boys better too."  
They all chuckled and the once palpable tension was brought back down to a manageable level.  
"My brothers are a little more... Unsettled by it. As a result I felt it best not to stay with them."  
He trailed off quietly.   
"He's fine to stay in the guest room?" Dean interjected, saving Castiel from needing to find more words.  
"Of course". The parental figures both said at the same time.  
"Dean, why don't you and Sam go get Castiel's things, take flashlights it'll be dark soon."  
"Yessir" Dean tossed out before snagging the keys from his father and running out. Mary excused herself to the kitchen, leaving John and Cas.   
As soon as the door closed behind the other boys, John stood up and faced the blue eyed boy. Gently but firmly, he placed his hands on either of the boy's shoulders and waited for him to look him in the eye. Castiel mentally noted, with some amusement, that this is where Sam must have gotten it from.  
"Cas, you listen to me very carefully."  
"Yessir."  
"Good. Now I want to make this very clear. There are a lot of people in this world with a lot of opinions on things, and plenty are willing to be assholes about it. But under my roof you will always be supported, no matter what anyone else in this world thinks. I'm proud of all my boys, no matter what. Do you understand?"  
Cas nodded, biting his lip as emotion threatened to overtake him yet again. He missed his dad so much, but always knew that if he were still here he wouldn't be accepting him the way that John Winchester was right now.  
Sensing the boy's distress, John finished the talk with a quick, firm hug and a pat in the back.  
"Did you want to watch tv with us?"  
"No!" Came an interjection from the doorway.  
"Castiel needs to rest in quiet, his fever was awful this morning."  
John felt Cas's forehead and around his neck and ears.  
"So?"  
"So he's going to bed."  
John relented with a shrug and gave his newest son another firm pat on the shoulder.   
"Alright, kiddo. Sleep off that fever."  
"Goodnight"  
Mary walked him up the stairs to his new bedroom. Once they we up there, the blue eyed boy's temperature was taken.  
"100. Let's keep that going down."  
And the night ended with one last warm hug and a whispered "sweet dreams, sweetheart."

**Author's Note:**

> I've thought about adding a few chapters to this, Cas's life moving forward. Feel free to drop a comment and let me know if you want more. I've started another chapter, but I very well might leave it as-is.


End file.
